Britain's 'most dangerous plant' strikes in Newcastle: Toddler is left with a blister the size of a PLUM after brushing past giant hogweed

Daily Mail​

23-07-2025

A toddler was left with second-degree burns and an agonising blister 'the size of a plum' after a brush with 'Britain's most dangerous plant'.
Brooklyn Bone, three, was probably exposed to giant hogweed while picking flowers on the way to childcare in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The next day a blister appeared on his finger, and that night 'it seemed to blow up', quadrupling in size as it filled with pus.
Mum Hether Irving said: 'I think he picked a flower on the way to childcare on Thursday morning and potentially came across it then.
'He was only exposed to it for a matter of minutes.
'It was the next day, on Friday afternoon, that I noticed a small blister on the edge of his nail.
'I knew something was wrong as through the night it seemed to blow up.'
She continued: 'He was crying, holding his finger in the air, he couldn't have anything touch it, and he kept shaking.
'It blistered right the way down, half way to his knuckle, and by Saturday morning it was a huge pus-filled blister that had quadrupled in size.
'It was the size of a plum.'
Little Brooklyn was taken to A&E at South Tyneside District Hospital.
They said he had most likely had a brush with the dreaded giant hogweed.
Known as 'Britain's most dangerous plant', it has sap that stops the skin protecting itself against the sun, leading to gruesome burns when exposed to daylight.
And because it often causes no immediate pain, its victims can continue to burn in the sun heedless of any problem.
On top of that, the plant can spread its sap with only a moment's exposure.
At hospital, Brooklyn was put on the road to recovery.
Some victims of the giant hogweed endure years of heightened sensitivity to sunlight where they were burned
Miss Irving, a beautician, said: 'They immediately took pictures and explained what they thought it was.
'They lanced it and drained the fluid off, and we were sent up to the burns unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary where he's being treated for second-degree burns.
'They have said it'll take up to four weeks to fully heal, and we have been back to hospital twice to change dressings.
'Each time it was very painful but the nurses were excellent.'
There could be longer term damage too.
Some victims of the giant hogweed endure years of heightened sensitivity to sunlight where they were burned.
Glasgow pensioner, George Parsonage, last year said he was still troubled by a giant hogweed wound sustained in the 1960s.
Brooklyn too must be extra careful in future.
Hether, 40, said: 'They've said if he goes in the sun in future, he needs factor 50 on his finger as it's now very dangerous, as he will burn because of the hogweed.'
She continued: 'I urge people not to let their children touch bushes, or things that seem harmless.
'We were lucky it was only one finger, I can't imagine what that would be like if it was a full arm or leg.
'It was absolutely horrific. His skin was peeled off half way down his finger to prevent infection.'
The giant hogweed is native to the Caucasus, but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread has now got out of control.
It was called 'without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain' by Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust in 2015.
What is giant hogweed?
Giant Hogweed is a non-native species to the UK.
It was first introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant in the 19th century after being discovered in the Caucasus Mountains and Central Asia.
The plant escaped and naturalised in the wild and can now be found throughout much of the UK - especially on river banks as its seeds are transported by the water.
It has been spreading uncontrollably across Scotland for decades, producing up to 50,000 seeds which can survive for many years.
But the sap of the weed, which looks like a giant version of the harmless plant cow parsley, is extremely toxic to humans and animals, causing horrific burns on the skin.
The skin remains sensitive to UV light for many years - and can even cause blindness if near the eyes.